This year sees the inaugural Best Regional Event award, sponsored by Parkway shopping centre, which is involved in the event for the first time.

Parkway centre manager Andrew Marmot said: “This is something Parkway feels really passionate about, because events in the town are what draw people to it.

“For us, the Best Regional Event seemed like the right award to sponsor.

“We are looking forward to a really strong category of entries.

“Newbury embraces its market town status like few other towns do and it feels like an undiscovered gem – the more we do to highlight how fantastic it is, the better it will be to live and do business.”

New sponsors this year also include HSBC and Cobbs Farm Shop and Kitchen, along with LAUDIS Business Advisors, which will sponsor the Entrepreneur of the Year category.

Also present at the launch were last year’s winner Amberjack, which claimed the Innovation award en route to walking away with the coveted Newbury Weekly News 2017 Best inBusiness Award.

The recruitment company’s head of marketing Ben Hutchins said: “Winning the award was absolutely huge in helping us establishing our employer brand within the market place.

“This was the first time we entered a local award and we did it because we wanted to make people more aware of us.

“You’ve got to be in it to win it.

“Even if you’re shortlisted for an award, from a marketing perspective, there’s plenty to use as leverage within the marketplace.”

After tucking into a hearty brewery breakfast of bacon sandwiches and pastries, attendees listened to speeches from NWN chief executive James Gurney, Newbury MP Richard Benyon and the chairman of West Berkshire Brewery, David Bruce.

Mr Benyon began his speech by recalling his visit to the brewery for lunch last Sunday, when he noticed it was “absolutely buzzing”.

And he was already anticipating the black-tie gala event on Friday, November 2, when the award winners will be revealed

He said: “These awards are an opportunity to say thank you to those who take risks and start a business to employ people and give security to those people and their families.

“At these awards, there is such an electricity in the room and it is something that is totally infectious to those who attend.

“Thank you to all the sponsors and those who take part.

“I know we will get a lot of entrants this year and the judges are going to have a difficult job in choosing those winners when they are announced.”

Mr Benyon also praised the NWN’s involvement in the event.

“This is a really good piece of local leadership,” he said.

“I sound like an oily politician who’s trying to wangle some good copy, but I’m not.

“I genuinely want to say thank you to the NWN and I know the Best in Business event is going to be a great success again this year.”